Musical performance risers are well known in the performing arts and are often used by individuals or groups during musical or dramatic performances in a number of settings including schools, churches, theaters, concert halls, stadiums, etc. These risers are helpful in raising individual performers as well as groups of performers, and/or their instruments or equipment (e.g. speakers, amplifiers, microphones, etc.), off of the ground or lower stage.
One problem with most risers on the market today is that they almost never reduce the unwanted vibrations that can occur during a musical performance and often actually make the problem of unwanted vibrations worse. When a performer uses equipment or instruments on traditional risers, the vibrations can travel through these risers and down into the stage, floor, or ground, then out into the audience. These vibrations cause interference with the music being produced and reduce the quality of the audience's listening experience.
Various attempts have been made to reduce the impact of these unwanted vibrations. One common tool used is to place a shield around the performer in an attempt to block some of the direct sound transmission levels. This, however, can cause its own problems and does nothing to solve the issue of downward vibratory transmission.
At least one group has attempted to solve this problem by creating a riser supported by numerous metal rods and filled with a single type of foam material of uniform density. The use of this riser has proven unsatisfactory, however, as the metal rods which are required to support this otherwise flimsy riser effectively transmit vibrations themselves, therefore diminishing or negating any benefit from the foam inside. Furthermore, the fact that the foam material is all of a single type and density greatly reduces the effectiveness of this design.
Another problem that musicians face often occurs during concerts. In these situations, it is common for two or more acts to use the same stage, one after the other. Between each act, there is often significant time wasted during stage set-up and teardown. As one band leaves the stage, the members of the band or others remove all of the band's equipment and disconnect various components and cables. Then the equipment for the next band has to be set-up and positioned. In most concerts this all occurs over a lengthy period of time during which fans wait impatiently for the music to continue.
What is needed is a musical performance riser which has an improved ability to reduce unwanted vibrations during a musical or dramatic performance.
What is also needed is a musical performance riser which has improved ability to be moved to and from a stage efficiently, that can be set up and torn down quickly, while at the same time reducing unwanted vibrations.